NewsPronto

 
The Times Real Estate

.

The Conversation

Dark energy may have once been ‘springier’ than it is today − DESI cosmologists explain what their collaboration’s new measurement says about the universe’s history

  • Written by David Weinberg, Professor of Astronomy, The Ohio State University
imageThe Mayall 4-meter Telescope at the Kitt Peak National Observatory houses the DESI instrument. KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/P. Marenfeld

Gravity pulls us to earth, a lesson you learn viscerally the first time you fall. Isaac Newton described gravity as a universal attractive force, one that holds the Moon in orbit around the Earth, the planets in orbit...

Read more: Dark energy may have once been ‘springier’ than it is today − DESI cosmologists explain what their...

Giving cash to families in poor, rural communities can help bring down child marriage rates – new research

  • Written by Sudarno Sumarto, Visiting Professor at the Center for International Development, Harvard Kennedy School
imageChild marriages remain common in many regions of the world.AP Photo/Victoria Milko

Providing cash transfers to low-income families can reduce child marriage rates among girls living in rural communities.

That is what we found in a recent study looking at the impact of social assistance programs that gave money to families in Indonesia.

In 2006, the...

Read more: Giving cash to families in poor, rural communities can help bring down child marriage rates – new...

Des Moines food pantries face spiking demand as the Iowa region’s SNAP enrollment declines

  • Written by Lendie R. Follett, Associate Professor of Business Analytics, Drake University
imageA volunteer loads food into a bag at the Des Moines Area Religious Council food pantry in 2020.AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall

As part of its drive to cut federal spending, the Trump administration has paused over US$500 million of funds that had previously flowed annually to food banks across the U.S. It’s not the only policy change that could...

Read more: Des Moines food pantries face spiking demand as the Iowa region’s SNAP enrollment declines

Beggar thy neighbor, harm thyself: Tariffs like Trump’s come with pitfalls, history shows

  • Written by Bedassa Tadesse, Professor of Economics, University of Minnesota Duluth

Feeling tariff whiplash? You’re not alone. On April 2, 2025, President Donald Trump announced sweeping new tariffs – a 10% levy on nearly all U.S. imports, along with targeted duties aimed at punishing countries he accuses of exploiting American markets. Just a week later, on April 9, his administration abruptly paused much of the plan...

Read more: Beggar thy neighbor, harm thyself: Tariffs like Trump’s come with pitfalls, history shows

25 years of Everglades restoration has improved drinking water for millions in Florida, but a new risk is rising

  • Written by John Kominoski, Professor of Biological Sciences, Florida International University
imageThe Everglades has often been referred to as a vast river of grass.National Park Service/B.Call via Flickr

Do you know where your drinking water comes from?

In South Florida, drinking water comes from the Everglades, a vast landscape of wetlands that has long filtered the water relied on by millions of people.

But as the Everglades has shrunk over...

Read more: 25 years of Everglades restoration has improved drinking water for millions in Florida, but a new...

A need for chaos powers some Americans’ support for Elon Musk taking a chainsaw to the US government

  • Written by Dannagal G. Young, Professor of Communication and Political Science, University of Delaware
imageThere's a sizable group of Americans who agree with the phrase 'I think society should be burned to the ground.'Anton Petrus-Moment/Getty Images

A video of a Las Vegas Tesla dealership that had been set on fire by anti-Elon Musk protesters was posted on March 18, 2025, by an account on X called EndWokeness.

The next day Musk replied to the post,...

Read more: A need for chaos powers some Americans’ support for Elon Musk taking a chainsaw to the US government

Preventive care may no longer be free in 2026 because of HIV stigma − unless the Trump administration successfully defends the ACA

  • Written by Kristefer Stojanovski, Assistant Professor of Social, Behavioral and Population Sciences, Tulane University
imageAmericans may lose free coverage for cancer and blood pressure screenings, HIV prevention medication and other essential services.Halfpoint Images/Moment via Getty Images

Many Americans were relieved when the Supreme Court left the Affordable Care Act in place following the law’s third major legal challenge in June 2021. This decision...

Read more: Preventive care may no longer be free in 2026 because of HIV stigma − unless the Trump...

How bird flu differs from seasonal flu − an infectious disease researcher explains

  • Written by Hanna D. Paton, PhD Candidate in Immunology, University of Iowa
imageThere is currently no bird flu vaccine for people. Digicomphoto/ Science Photo Library via Getty Images

The flu sickens millions of people in the U.S. every year, and the past year has been particularly tough. Although infections are trending downward, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has called the winter of 2024-2025 a “high...

Read more: How bird flu differs from seasonal flu − an infectious disease researcher explains

Educators find creative work-arounds to new laws that restrict what they can teach

  • Written by Riley Drake, Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Stout
imageSome educators are chafing under new laws that limit what and how they can teach.VectorMine/iStock via Getty Images Plus

An onslaught of executive orders from President Donald Trump aim to restrict how and what educators can teach America’s children.

Since taking office in January 2025, Trump has attempted to bar teachers from discussing...

Read more: Educators find creative work-arounds to new laws that restrict what they can teach

Volcanic ash is a silent killer, more so than lava: What Alaska needs to know with Mount Spurr likely to erupt

  • Written by David Kitchen, Associate Professor of Geology, University of Richmond
imageOne of two main craters on Alaska's Mount Spurr, shown in 1991. Earthquake activity suggests the volcano is close to erupting again in 2025.R.G. McGimsey/Alaska Volcano Observatory/U.S. Geological Survey, CC BY

Volcanoes inspire awe with spectacular eruptions and incandescent rivers of lava, but often their deadliest hazard is what quietly falls...

Read more: Volcanic ash is a silent killer, more so than lava: What Alaska needs to know with Mount Spurr...

More Articles ...

  1. The Thucydides Trap: Vital lessons from ancient Greece for China and the US … or a load of old claptrap?
  2. On stage but out of the spotlight − the quiet struggle of being an opening act
  3. Why the meteorites that hit Earth have less water than the asteroid bits brought back by space probes – a planetary scientist explains new research
  4. Cambodia’s haunted present: 50 years after Khmer Rouge’s rise, murderous legacy looms large
  5. Social Security’s trust fund could run out of money sooner than expected due to changes in taxes and benefits
  6. 401(k) plans and stock market volatility: What you need to know
  7. Perceived consensus drives moral intolerance in a time of identity-driven politics and online bubbles
  8. Getting AIs working toward human goals − study shows how to measure misalignment
  9. Same-sex marriage is under attack by state lawmakers, emboldened by Trump’s anti-LGBTQ+ measures and the Supreme Court’s willingness to overturn precedent
  10. Are twins allergic to the same things?
  11. How and where is nuclear waste stored in the US?
  12. ICE has broad power to detain and arrest noncitizens – but is still bound by constitutional limits
  13. How the CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service protects public health at home and abroad
  14. Utilities choosing coal, solar, nuclear or other power sources have a lot to consider, beyond just cost
  15. Pennsylvania may be short 20,000 nurses by 2026
  16. In trade war with the US, China holds a lot more cards than Trump may think − in fact, it might have a winning hand
  17. Companies will still face pressure to manage for climate change, even as government rolls back US climate policy
  18. Pikachu protesters, Studio Ghibli memes and the subversive power of cuteness
  19. Citizenship voting requirement in SAVE Act has no basis in the Constitution – and ignores precedent that only states decide who gets to vote
  20. AI-generated images can exploit how your mind works − here’s why they fool you and how to spot them
  21. Tiny cut marks on animal bone fossils reveal that human ancestors were in Romania 1.95 million years ago
  22. A Roman governor ordered Jesus’ crucifixion – so why did many Christians blame Jews for centuries?
  23. White House plans for Alaskan oil and gas face some hurdles – including from Trump and the petroleum industry
  24. Pornography may be commonplace, but a growing body of research shows it causes lasting harm to the brain and relationships
  25. ICE can now enter K-12 schools − here’s what educators should know about student rights and privacy
  26. What the Supreme Court’s ruling on man wrongly deported to El Salvador says about presidential authority and the rule of law
  27. Cancer hijacks your brain and steals your motivation − new research in mice reveals how, offering potential avenues for treatment
  28. Tax Day highlights the costs of single living – but demographics are forcing financial change
  29. Fill-in-the-blank training primes AI to interpret health data from smartwatches and fitness trackers
  30. Race isn’t a ‘biological reality,’ contrary to recent political claims − here’s how scientific consensus on race developed in the 20th century
  31. Trump’s nomination for NASA leader boasts business and commercial spaceflight experience during a period of uncertainty for the agency
  32. Schools are harnessing artificial intelligence to revolutionize courses in hospitality management
  33. Black Americans are more likely than other racial groups to express their faith in the workplace
  34. China’s new underwater tool cuts deep, exposing vulnerability of vital network of subsea cables
  35. Will Africa’s young voters continue to punish incumbents at the ballot box in 2025? We are about to find out
  36. Universities in Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union thought giving in to government demands would save their independence
  37. Supreme Court’s decision on deportations gave both the Trump administration and ACLU reasons to claim a victory − but noncitizens clearly lost
  38. Why you should think twice before using shorthand like ‘thx’ and ‘k’ in your texts
  39. Colorado’s early childhood education workers face burnout and health disparities, but a wellness campaign could help
  40. Americans die earlier at all wealth levels, even if wealth buys more years of life in the US than in Europe
  41. What would happen if Section 230 went away? A legal expert explains the consequences of repealing ‘the law that built the internet’
  42. Shark AI uses fossil shark teeth to get middle school kids interested in paleontology and computer vision
  43. Two key ingredients cause extreme storms with destructive flooding – why these downpours are happening more often
  44. Why some storms brew up to extreme dimensions in the middle of America – and why it’s happening more often
  45. Cities that want to attract business might want to focus less on financial incentives and more on making people feel safe
  46. The founder kings of Silicon Valley: Dual-class stock gives US social media company controllers nearly as much power as ByteDance has over TikTok
  47. Social media before bedtime wreaks havoc on our sleep − a sleep researcher explains why screens alone aren’t the main culprit
  48. How racism fueled the Eaton Fire’s destruction in Altadena − a scholar explains why discrimination can raise fire risk for Black Californians
  49. Providing farmworkers with health insurance is worth it for their employers − new research
  50. Peru’s ancient irrigation systems succeeded in turning deserts into farms because of the culture − without it, the systems failed